By Mayor Bryan Nelson

The city has a dedicated team of true professionals who not only keep Apopka running at top notch efficiency but also give back to our community in many ways.  

Just last month our Police Department put on a car show at Kit Land Nelson Park called Horsepower for Heroes. The event raised money to benefit Honor Flight Central Florida, a non-profit that provides flights to Washington, D.C., for veterans to visit the memorials at no cost.  

Not to be outdone, our Fire Department put on the Phil the Boot fundraiser for Phil Faro, who is an Apopka fire engineer and Marine Corps veteran who had a severe medical issue. We had eight-man teams from all over Central Florida pulling a 40,000-pound fire engine 100 yards for bragging rights – with all the proceeds to benefit Phil. 

I would also like to brag on your city staff as we enter the Christmas season. As many families are struggling to make ends meet, our dedicated employees have stepped up to the challenge to help. At Thanksgiving, our team donated 714 boxes of macaroni and cheese – far exceeding our goal of 300 boxes. They also donated 122 miscellaneous boxes of additional food for a grand total of 836 boxes of food to help Loaves and Fishes meet community needs. 

In the spirit of the Christmas season, our Police Department just completed the Shop with a Cop program giving 160 kids the opportunity to shop at Walmart with a police officer. Each child got a $125 gift card to spend on toys, along with their own personal police officer to help them shop for the best bargains.  

The Shop with a Cop event would not have been possible without the help of our Citizens Police Academy and our financial sponsors, which included Walmart, Apopka Christian Ministerial Alliance, Circles of Care, Sam’s Club, Lou Haubner Realty, ACPAAA, the Picerne Family, Synergy Electrical, Shren Yeager Insurance, Orange Lodge 36, Marc Shore Associates, Electronic Locksmith, Apopka Woman’s Club, GeoWell Construction, John Land Community Trust, One Florida Bank, Vision Car Wash and Victoria Plaza. 

Along with the Shop with a Cop, we also collected Christmas toys for Apopka Middle School, including 20 bikes, games, toys and books. Our city staff have always been generous with their time, talents and treasure and are a true asset to our great city.